Electropneumatic brake.



G, N, HOLCOMBE, DECD.

ELECTBDPNEUMATlC-BBAKE- APPLIGAUQN FILED vMNHN. 1914.

1,1 34 1,853,p Patented Apr. 6, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SSBET l.

lu/nudo@ THE NDRRIS PETERS CO., PHUTG-LITHO.. WASHINGTON. D. c.

C. N. HOLCOMBE, DECD. c. HoLcoME. Aummlsrlmmx.

ELECTROPNEUMATIG BRAKE. APPLICATION man mmzz. 1914.

1,1 34,853', Patented. Apr. 6. 1915.

. 2 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

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y A @www THE MORRIS PETERS C0.. PHOTU-LTHO.. WASHINGTON. D. C.

CLYDE N. HOLCOMBE, OF NEW ROCHELLE, NEW YORK; CAROLINE HOLCOMBE, ADMIN- Y ISTRATR-IX 0F ASAID CLYDE N. HOLCOIVIBE, DECEASED, HOLCOIVIBE, 0F NEW ROCHELLE, NEW YORK.

ASSIGNOR TO CAROLINE ELECTROPNEUIVIATIC BRAKE. i

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 6, 1915.

Application led January 22, 1914. Serial No. 813,760.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, CLYDE N. I-IoLcoMBn, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Rochelle, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in lElectropneumatic Brakes; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to air brakes, and more especially to those wherein the motormans valve is equipped with the usual head for controlling the How of air in the various positions of the valve and with a drum having contacts for controlling electric circuits extending throughout the length of the train.

In systems of this character now in use, the circuits as closed by the motormans valve are employed for energizing all the like magnets or solenoids throughout a train, so as to actuate the various service valves, emergency valves, or release valves; and the manner in which it is carried out will be understood from the diagram on Sheet l of the drawings and need not be described herein further than to state generally what are the elements or parts of the system. By the use of my present invention, I provide the motormans valve with two additional segments set opposite to and slightly remote from those already provided for the battery and release valve wires, but' in slightly different position with respect to the cavity in the valve head; and the action and advantage of these additional segments will be set forth in the following specification.

In the drawings hereto attached Figure 1 is a diagrammatic elevation of the full brake equipment used on a motor car, whether the same be driven by steam, electricity or otherwise. Figs. 2 to 6 inclusive are sectional diagrammatic views of the motormans valve when' equipped with the added segments in accordance with the present invention, the parts being in different positions as will be referred to hereinafter.

Figs. 2a, 3a, and l? diagrammatically show the position of the valve head and its cavity.

Most of the parts illustrated in the diagram on Sheet l of thedrawings have been designatedA thereon by their names as well known in this art, and need no further. ex- Y planation of their construction or operation because they will be clearly understoodby a person familiar with air brakes. The controlling valve isl shown as havingmounted on its casing a release valve, a service valve, and an emergency valve, actuated by magnets respectively lettered It, S, and E..

The construction of the magnets and the exact details of the valves which they control are not essential to the present invention, but the release valve is open and the service and emergency valves are closed` with fingers within the casing of the motor-` mans valve, as diagrammatically shown in Fig. 1. I have found by experience, however, that while it is true that the electric system above described may be employed to energize all like magnets on a train simultaneously, and that said magnets when enery gized will actuate the valves referred to so that the service valves and emergency valves will permit the application of the brakes in their own and well known way, the release valves will not permit the releasing of the brakes onv the cars until the brake pipe pressure has been built up sufficiently to move the release position. This pressure is built up within a short time, but until it is so built up the release valves release the brakes on the several cars in the train step by step. and,

'75 The negative pole of the equalizing pistons of all control valves to Y despite the motormans experience and his careful handling of the brakes, he cannot avoid a jerky effect on the cars of the train. A. skilful motorman by the proper manipulation oic the handle under What is called graduated release can bring his car to a stop at the time that the brakes are fully re leased, and in order to have the same control over a train composed or". several cars, it 1s obvious that the action of the various release valves must be synchronized so that the jerky efi'ect referred to is obviated.

On Sheet 2 o the drawings the fingers shown in section at 1, 2, 3, and l are connected respectively with the Wires of the cable above referred to. rlhe upper end of the valve stem 5 carries the usual handle 6, which in the present case is shown as having a stop 'i' coacting With notches 8 in the head of the casing 9 to indicate the position of the valve and the drum 10 thereon. Figs. 2, 3a, and 4 show diagrams of the valve head V (or rotary valve andits cavities as they stand in Figs. 2, 3, and 1, and the same need not be amplified in this specification. The drum 10 carries segments 11, 12, 13, and 14 which are countersunk therein and adapted to come into contact with the lingers 1, 2, 3,' respectively When the valve is set in the various positions. y1`hese positions are illustrated in Figs. 3, Ll, 5, and 6, and are respectively known as charging and electric release, lap, service, and emergency; and nothing novel is claimed for the same or all of the parts thus far described.

Coming now to the gist olf the present invention, l provide two additional segments 21 and 22 which are mounted in the drum 10 to Et flush With the periphery thereof and which are located to the right of all the other segments as seen in the four views reerred to, so that they are ineiiective when the operating handle of the valve stands in any other position than that disclosed in Fig. 2. But when the handle is moved to the extreme left as shown in Fig. 2, the segments 21 and 22 come into contact respectively vvith the battery finger 1 and the release magnet valve finger 2 in a manner Which Will be clear, and this contact is made at a time When the cavity in the valve head V connects the equalizing reservoir and brake pipe with the pipe :trom the main reservoir. 1t is true that the valve head also establishes this communication When the parts stand in the position as seen in Fig. 3, but in Which position no electrical contact could heretofore be made by a further movement of the handle to the lett as is done by my improvement. The result heretofore Was that, While the train pipe was soon charged suiiiciently to move the equalizing pistons in all the control valves, said pistons Were moved successively in the various cars rather than simultaneously. By the use of my invention, however, it is practicable to release the brakes simultaneously throughout the train, either by graduated release or directly.

1n the action of this brake system with my segments added as described, let us assume that the parts of the motormans valve stand as seen in Fig. 3 With the train running, and it is desired to stop. As the motorman approaches the point at which the stop is to be made he applies the brakes in the usual manner by turning the parts t the position shoivn in Fig. 5 Which is service, and next he moves the parts the lap position shown in Fig. et Where he permits them to remain until he has approaches still closer to the stopping point as his judgment may determine. Then he moves the valve yet farther-past the position shown in Fig. 3 to the position indicated in Fig. 2, and the current applied to the magnets of the release magnet valves holds all said valves closed at the same time that the cavity in the valve head connects the main reservoir With the brake pipe. Pressure in the latter Will nov move all equalizing pistons of the control valves of the various cars successively but promptly to release position, and after the last valve assumes release position and the train is near enough to the stopping point to start the exhaust from brake cylinders so that the latter Will be entirely exhausted at the last turn of the Wheels, the motorman Will move the brake valve handle irom the position shown in Fig. 2 to the position shown in Fig. 3 Where all release magnet valves Will be denergized and all brake cylinder er;- hausts synchronized.

After a full service application of brakes has been made as described, by brake valve parts being moved to the position shown in F ig. 5 and then returned to position shoivn in Fig. 2 Where brake pipe, equalizing reservoir and chambers of control valve Will be recharged, an additional brake cylinder pressure of fifteen pounds may be supplemented to the original (fifty pound standard and maximum cylinder pressure under present conditions) by returning brake valve handle to the position shown in Fig. 5. Such brake operation would be of great service when stopping a train running at high speed. 1t Would also be orp advantage should an emergency arise after brakes had been applied to make a regular stop and brake valve handle set in the position shown in Fig. 2 as a much quicker stop could be made than in service Without using the regular emergency operation which is sometimes dangerous to passengers and equipment; but it Would not interfere with the use of the emergency brake at any instant it should be required.

v The release after a second application is brought about as above described for a single application, and motorman has the same perfect control of train in both cases.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the addition of the two segments, or any equivalent construction for producing the same effect, on the drum of the ordinary motorlmans or engineers valve for controlling combined electric and pneumatic brakes, will result in a more perfect control of and the simultaneous releasing of the brakes on all cars of the train; since after the brakes are applied to a certain extent, the brake handle may be moved to the position shown in Fig. 2 and the brakes held applied electrically as long as desired, and at the same time the brake pipe will be fully charged and all equalizing and other portions of the control valve will be moved to release position so that at the proper time, (just before the train has stopped,) by moving the brake handle from the last referred to position (where it was holding release magnet closed and charging brake pipe) to running position the brake release magnet circuit will be broken. Since all portions of all control valves will be in release position before this last mentioned position of the brake handle is assumed, it follows that all release magnet valves will open absolutely simultaneously l throughout the train regardless of its length. While the handle is in running position, it continues to recharge the brake pipe and will have it fully recharged and ready for another service application by the time brakes are released. It will ordinarily be fully recharged long before the brakes are released. It will further be noted by moving the brake handle back and forth from release position it will be possible to obtain a graduated effect in the release and these graduations will be absolutely simultaneous on every car of the train; and the operation of brakes after an application has been made will be exactly the same to a motorma'n handling a train of a number of cars, as it would be if handling a single car and the operation can be effected with the same ease and with much more skill. This operation may be repeated as many times as desired and it is possible to make a great number of graduations.

The foregoing advantages are all obtained by having the electrically operated valves controlling the exhaust from the brake cylinders, electrically connected to the two additional segments arranged in the motormans valve as shown and described; that is, to say, so that when the handle of the valve is in ordinary running position it will also be in electric release position with respect to my improvements, and when in ordinary release position it will also be in electric holding position with respect to my invention.

Simply the provision of the two additional segments arranged and connected as shown and described is all that is necessary and this can be done at an exceedingly small cost.V

Moreover, the application of my invention will'not in any way effect the electropneumatic system as now in use.

Vhat is claimed as` new is:

1. The combination with an air brake system including a motormans valve and the magnet release valve and its magnet; of a circuit including said magnet, lingers on the casing of the motormans valve, segments on the stem of said valve for contact with the fingers and additional segments opposite such fingers and connected with the stem of the valve at points to close the circuit through said lingers when the valve head establishes communication between the brake pipe and the main reservoir.

2. In an air brake system including a motormans valve having a 'cavity in its head, a drum on its stem, segments on the drum, and lingers in the drum casing opposite said segments; a pair of additional segments opposite the fingers which are connected with the battery wire and the wire to the magnet release valves throughout the train, said additional segments contacting with their fingers when said cavity connects the brake pipe with the main reservoir, for the purpose set forth. Y c

v3. In an air brake system of the class described including a motormans valve, a drum carried on the stem thereof, a casing for the drum, a plurality of electrical terminals mounted therein, a plurality of segments carried on the drum for engagement with said terminals at predetermined times and a pair of additional segments carried on the drum opposite a certain pair of the aforesaid segments and adapted for contact with a certain pair of terminals whereby to complete an electrical circuit when the valve establishes communication between the brake pipe and main reservoir of the system.

4. The combination with an air brake system including a main operating valve, the magnet release valve and its magnet; of a circuit including said magnet and a circuit closer carried by said valve and including means for completing the circuit in one position of the valve and segments on the valve stem coperating with a portion of the last referred to means to complete the circuit in an additional position kof said valve.

5. The combination with an air brake system, including a motormans valve and the magnetic release valve and its magnet; of a circuit including said magnet, coperating circuit closing means disposed upon the casing and stem of said motormans valve, an auxiliary circuit closing means disposed upon said valve stem in predetermined relamy hand in presence of two subscribing wittion to certain of the circuit closing means nesses.

on the casing whereby to close a circuit T through certain of the latter, after the valve CLYDE HOLCMBE' had established communication between the /Vtnesses:

GEO. W. SUTTON,

pipe and the main reservoir.

WALTER T. GOODLIFFE.

In testimony wheeof have hereunto set C'opies of this patent may be obtained for` ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Fatents,

Washington, D. C. 

